Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight – One of the go-to recommendations for newcomers and veterans alike. This book contains a great general overview of arms and armor in Medieval Western Europe. It’s not the most detailed book, but for people new to the subject it provides one of the best introductions and is broken down in an approachable format by time period.
European Armour, circa 1066 to circa 1700 – This book, published in 1959 still stands the test of time. Claude Blair delivers an excellent broad survey of Western European Medieval Armors in extraordinary detail. This book is required reading for the serious student of arms and armor. It is not as accessible as some of the other books on this list but it is unsurpassed in breadth and depth. Read it once, then read it again, and you will have a good rounded foundation in the modern study of historical arms and armor.
Arms and Armour of Late Medieval Europe – A newly published and very accessible book by Robert Woosnam-Savage, providing an overview of late Medieval armor with excellent photography. Very good for new students and those with a casual interest and still useful for people with a more robust knowledge of the subject.
Arms and Armour of the Medieval Joust – Another relatively new entry by Dr. Tobias Capwell. This book, in the same series of publications from the Royal Armouries as Arms and Armour of Late Medieval Europe is a more specialized look at the development of armor as used in the knightly tournaments of the Middle Ages.
How To Read European Armor – Published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC and written by curator, Donald La Rocca, this volume provides a nice overview of European armor from the Middle Ages into the 17th century with a focus on the 16th century and a deep dive into a very well known 16th century garniture with excellent accompanying photography.
Armour of the English Knight: 1400 – 1450 – An absolutely essential volume for any student of Medieval English armor from this period. It contains never-before-seen highly detailed photographs of a number of English effigies, outstanding sketches by famous armorers Jeff Wasson and Robert MacPherson illustrating construction details of various components, and the outstanding analysis and explanation of Dr. Toby Capwell. Pure armor gold.
Armour of the English Knight: 1450 – 1500 – An equally impressive second volume in Dr. Capwell’s English Armour series. Everything great about the first is present in the second with a shift in focus to the latter half of the 15th century.
The Real Fighting Stuff – Tobias Capwell looks at the different types of armour in Glasgow museums, the stories behind some of the weapons, and explores some of the myths surrounding the way we used to fight.
The following books are a little more specialized. Some may deal with more specific or advanced topics, they may be less accessible to novices, may be out of print, hard to find or only available in foreign languages:
The Making of a 16th Century Armor – A book documenting the making of a spectacular reproduction of a 16th century armor by modern Master Armorer Albert Collins of Sweden. This book is a fantastic resource for people interested in armoring as it not only details the construction of a specific reproduction harness, but has a section dedicated to tools and techniques. Combined with great photography and drawings, this is a gem of a book.
Armourers (Medieval Craftsmen Series) – Part of a larger series on medieval craftsmen, Armourers is one of the only volumes that deals specifically with the late medieval armorer as a profession. It looks at centers of production, guild structure, and dives in to who armorers were in the Late Medieval period.
The Knight and the Blast Furnace -This is the definitive volume on the metallurgy of late medieval armour. If you’re interested in the metallurgical properties of the real thing, you cannot find a better source. Unfortunately this book is out of print and difficult to find, but if you can, jump at the chance.
The Last Knight: The Art, Armor and Ambition of Maximilian I – From the time Maximilian I (1459–1519) became duke of Burgundy at the age of eighteen until he died while serving as Holy Roman Emperor, his passion for the trappings and ideals of knighthood served his worldly ambitions, imaginative strategies, and resolute efforts to forge a legacy. Later known as the “Last Knight,” Maximilian was a master of the art of self-promotion; he ordered exceptional armor from the most celebrated armorers in Europe, as well as heroic autobiographical epics and lavish designs for prints.
Arms and Armor – Highlights from the Philadelphia Museum of Art – The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s holdings of arms and armor are among the finest of their kind in the world. Presenting nearly 100 masterpieces from the collection, this lavishly illustrated volume includes complete armors and armor elements, swords, firearms and crossbows, staff weapons, horse equipment, and related accessories. Drawn for the most part from the princely armories of Europe, these objects represent the epitome of the armorer’s art, and many are published here in color for the first time. The engaging text by Dirk H. Breiding summarizes the latest scholarship and discusses how the museum’s collection—the core of which consists of a 1977 bequest by the distinguished connoisseur and scholar Carl Otto Kretzschmar von Kienbusch (1884–1976)—has evolved over the years.
The Tower Armoury in the 14th Century -The published research of Thom Richardson concerning the inventories of the Tower of London Armoury through the 14th century. This book contains detailed lists of individual pieces of equipment stored in the Tower Armoury, essential information for Hundred Years War England students.
Leather in Warfare: Attack, Defence, and the Unexpected – Not specifically Medieval, but does include papers that focus on Medieval examples. Leather in Warfare is a collection of papers from a conference jointly organised by the Archaeological Leather Group and the Royal Armouries Museum. It draws together authors from a range of disciplines and nationalities, and offers a fresh perspective on the varied use of this versatile material throughout history.
As Tough As Old Boots? Essays on the Manufacture & History of Hardened-Leather Armour – Chris Dobson, former senior armorer at the Royal Armouries draws upon his experience handling medieval originals and practical attempts at re-producing the techniques and results of those originals to bring us an excellent collection of essays on Medieval examples of hardened leather armor or cuir bouilli. (ebook)
Alla Tedesca? Italian ‘Gothic’ Armour and the Export Trade – In the 15th century, the international arms trade was dominated by North Italian armourers, who tailored their styles for different regional markets. A good example was armour ‘alla tedesca’: ‘in the German manner’. But just what was ‘alla tedesca’ armour like, and what was the response of native German armourers? In this publication Chris Dobson examines these questions, together with the effects of regional armour styles, which like languages, didn’t just stop and start at national borders (ebook).
The Armourer and his Craft – First published in 1912, this classic book-by British historian and author CHARLES JOHN FFOULKES (1868-1947), curator of London’s Royal Armouries-draws on records of the time to detail the tools and appliances of the trade, the decoration and cleaning of armor, the use of leather and fabrics, and much more to offer a complete reference for readers of period fiction and history, wargamers, costumers, and anyone fascinated by the craft of the armorer. This replica of the 1912 edition is complete with all of the original diagrams, illustrations, and photos.
A Record of European Armour and Arms Through Seven Centuries – Guy Francis Laking, 1920-1922. This is a multi-volume work, the link is to a freely available electronic copy of Volume 1, but all of the volumes are available in the same location.
L’arte dell’Armatura in Italia – Boccia, 1968. This book is only available in Italian, but it documents some of the most well known Italian armors in existence in detail.
The Armoury of the Castle of Churburg – Oswald Trapp / Mario Scalini 1996. If you can find this for an affordable price, count yourself lucky. You’ll want the 1996 re-print 2-volume edition if possible. It is published in Italian, German and English in that edition and includes a lot more than the original 1929 publication.
The final section focuses on photography oriented books:
Masterpieces of European Arms and Armour in the Wallace Collection and Complete Digital Catalogue of European Arms and Armour – Published on a USB drive, the Complete Digital Catalogue presents all the arms and armor held by the Wallace Collection in more than 7000 new photographs, ranging from whole pieces to close details and presenting them from many angles. This magnificent and visually stunning resource is both rapidly searchable and is fully comprehensive, containing also the texts of Sir James Mann’s 1962 catalogue of the European arms and armor—which remains a fundamental reference work for the collection and for arms and armor studies in general—A.V.B. Norman’s 1986 Supplement and every catalogue going back to 1900.
Carlo Paggiarino – The absolute gold standard of armor photography. Carlo Paggiarino brings you into the world’s finest collections of armor with these amazing volumes. At present (Dec 2018), available publications include The Bavarian Army Museum, The Gwynn Collection, The Royal Armouries, The Wallace Collection, and Churburg Armoury.
*links are NOT affiliate links, they are just one of many places where these books may be available, provided for your convenience. I do not do any affiliate programs or accept any compensation for recommendations. These are resources I use and believe in. This list is not exhaustive (there are hundreds of good books out there) and is updated from time to time.
